I shook my head. Maybe Nick’s punch rattled my brain. Maybe I had a concussion. That was it.
“Victor?” Liam’s quiet voice broke my disoriented haze. “Did you, um, hear me?”
“Yeah.” I paused. “I think so.”
Neither of us spoke as the weight of Liam’s words settled, like silt at the bottom of the lake. I sighed. “You don’t have to say that just because I’m upset.”
Liam’s gaze snapped towards me, wide and shocked. He almost looked offended. “I didn’t.”
Someone kicked me in the ass – literally.
“Don't try to weasel your way out of this,” Nick said, beside me now. “Listen to him. And don’t you dare brush him off.”
Liam looked more confident now with Nick’s reassurance. He stared me in the eye, his smaller frame rigid and his fists at his sides.
“I mean it, Victor,” Liam said. His voice was no longer quiet or shy. “I love you.”
The pleasant heat blossomed in my ribs again. Realization struck me as I realized it was the same feeling I used to have with Tristan, only this one felt different somehow.
Both Nick and Liam watched me now. Nick looked ready to tackle me if I bolted, and Liam’s fiercely determined gaze burned against mine.
I sighed and muttered to Nick, “A little privacy?”
His brows shot up briefly before returning and he nodded. As he left earshot, a smug smile was creeping onto his face.
I found it harder to look directly at Liam now, as if I was staring directly into the sun. But at the same time, that’s all I wanted to do. I could have stared at him for hours.
“Liam,” I began. His bright eyes watched me. I sighed. “It’s really hard for me to… say the things I mean. I’ve never been great with words.”
“That’s okay,” he said gently. “Take as much time as you need.”
Embarrassed now, I blurted out, “Can I just – show you instead?”
He blinked in surprise. “Um. Sure.”
Feeling like a deer taking its first steps, I reached shakily for Liam’s hand. My fingertips brushed his, and they were so soft I barely felt them. I swallowed back my anxiety and took his hands. They were smaller than mine, and fit like a puzzle piece within my grip.
We both stared down at them. Then Liam laughed softly. His face was pink and hot, and I imagine he was as embarrassed as I was.
“Is this what you’re showing me?” he asked.
No. This isn’t enough.
“Wait,” I said.
He tilted his head.
“I’m… I’m not done yet.”
Slipping one hand out of our tangled fingers, I raised it to his face and caressed his cheek. It was hot to the touch. He let out a tiny squeak at the contact.
“Is – this okay?” I mumbled.
“Yeah,” he said, so softly it was almost a whisper.
I swallowed back the thickness in my throat. I stroked his face, then his hair. It was thick but soft, just like I imagined his bear’s fur would be like. Liam seemed to melt in my hand, gently nuzzling against my palm. He was…cute.
“Can I do something else?”
